Echinococcosis: a review.
Echinococcosis in humans occurs as a result of infection by the larval stages of taeniid cestodes of the genus Echinococcus. In this review we discuss aspects of the biology, life cycle, etiology, distribution, and transmission of the Echinococcus organisms, and the epidemiology, clinical features, treatment, and effect of improved diagnosis of the diseases they cause. New sensitive and specific diagnostic methods and effective therapeutic approaches against echinococcosis have been developed in the last 10 years. Despite some progress in the control of echinococcosis, this zoonosis continues to be a major public health problem in several countries, and in several others it constitutes an emerging and re-emerging disease.
Moro
Pedro
P
Immunization Safety Office, Office of the Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, MS D26, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA. pmoro@cdc.gov
Schantz
Peter M
PM
D000818:Animals; D002675:Child, Preschool; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D004285:Dogs; D004443:Echinococcosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D004446:Echinococcus / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D048210:Echinococcus multilocularis / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology